Suction cleaner



May 27, 1,941. v.-E. c ARLsoN SUCTION CLEANER Filed MarchA e, 1939 2 sheets-sheet 41 Wsrzzon E 'arlsan r zey 24 3R 941v; w, cARLsM l 2243,81?

SUCTION CLEANER Filed March 6, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTR' Vrnolz E Laljlgan ATTORNEY Patented May 27, 1941 sUcrroN emanan Vernon E. Carlson, Canton, Ohio, assignor to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application March s, 1939, serial No. 260,000

4 claims. (ci. sos-1s) The present invention relates to suction cleaners and particularly to new and improved handle locking mechanism in a suction cleaner. More specically the invention comprises an improved handle 'control ina suction cleaner which is characterized in that the handle is locked in the selected position when the cleaner islifted off the door.`

Itisan object of the present invention to DIO' vide anew and improved suction cleaner. It is another object to provide new and improved handle: locking means in a4 suction cleaner. IA further-'object is to provide a handle control device `which `resistingly maintains the handle in different positions and also positively looks the handle inthe different positions when the cleaner is lifted oil' the iioor. Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent upon referring to' the following speciiication and claims and attached drawings wherein:

Figure 1`is a side elevation with parts broken away of a suction cleaner embodying the present invention:

Figure 2 is a` section along the line 2--2 of Figu re 1. and i Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1, but showing the cleaner raised off the supporting surface and the handle positively locked with respect to thecleaner casing.

Anembodiment of' the' invention is disclosed in a suction cleaner comprising a main casing Il having a nozzle II communicating with an air passageway I2 extending to a fan chamber I3 communicating with an exhaust passageway I4 discharging into a dust b ag I5 attached to a verticaliiange I6 at the extreme end of the exhaust passageway I4. The casing III supports an unshown motor enclosedin a vhousing I1, the motor operating a fan I6 to create suction and to draw dirt-laden air from the surface being cleaned -through the nozzle II and suction passageway I2 into the fan chamber I3, and discharges the same through the exhaust passageway I4 into the dust bag I5; A carpet engaging member 20 is rotat- 'ably mounted in the nozzle I I and is driven by a belt 2| extending to a pulley 22 rigidly secured to the amature shaft of the motor. The cleaner is supported on front and rear wheels 23 and 24 respectively, the latter being joumalled on a shaft 25 rigidly carried by a pair of spaced ears 26 formed integrally with a rear caster assembly 21.

The rear caster assembly 21 comprises a sub stantially U-shaped frame 'provided with a back wall 2l and side arms 30 and 3|. The caster the back wall `2li of the caster 21` in a direction to rotate the latter counterclockwise on its supporting rod 32, as viewed in Figures 1 and 3. The torsion spring 35 operates to raise the rear portion of the cleaner upwardly to tilt vthe nozzle portion downwardly when the cleaner rests on. the floor, and counterbalances the normal cleaner load on the rear wheels 24. When the cleaner is bodily lifted fromthe iioor the caster 2l is pivoted counterclockwise as viewed in Figures 1 and 3 by the action ofthe spring 35 and due to the influence of gravity.

The cleaner is propelled over the surface being cleaned by a handle 4U which is removably attached in a split handle socket 4I having a front wall 42, a rear wall 43 and opposing side walls 44- The handle socket is journalled on a pivot pin 45. which extends through the socket side walls 44 and is rigidly mounted in the spaced side walls 46 of a handle bracket". The rear wall 48 of the handlebracket lsfsecllred to the exhaust flange I6 and the lower lateral edges 49 l,

of the bracket side walls 46 are mounted on the cleaner casing above the exhaust passageway I4. One of the side wallsv of the handle socket 4I ex-` tends below .the pivotal axis and is provided with a segmental member 50 comprising an arcuate face or edge 6I having seats'or recesses 62 and 53 at opposite endsthereof, and a central recessv 54 which covers a considerable extent of the face 5I. A plurality of stops 55, 56, 51

and 56 denne the segmental recesses and limit the range of movement of the handle 40 when the `latter is in dierent operating positions.4

Adapted to engage the segmental surface 5I is a roller detent 60 joui-nailed on a pin 6I rigidly- `supported in a pair of spaced arms 62 formed 66 isjarranged about the pin 64 and has one end 61 anchored against a flange 68 formed on the handle bracket, and its opposite end 69 seats 1against the detent or control lever 63. The spring t@ tends to at all times urge the roller detent 6U into engagement with the segmental surface l to resistingly maintain the handle in its adjusted position When the roller detent @il is disposed in the segmental seat 53 the handle is resistingly held in the vertical position shown in Figure 1, and when the roller detent is in the segmental seat 52 the handle is resistingly held in a substantially horizontal position, the recess Iportion 54 is of such extent that when the roller detent BU engages it the handle is permitted to freely pivot through a substantial range which corresponds to the normal operating range of handle movement. l

When the handle is mounted at the rear end of the cleaner the weight of the latter is concentrated forwardly of the pivotal axis of the handle, and consequently when the cleaner is lifted od the floor the nozzle tends to pivot downwardly with respect to the handle. The usual handle control means do not function to prevent the front end of the cleaner from tilting downwardly with respect to the handle when the cleaner is lifted off the floor. In order to prevent such movement, I have provided a positive loclring mechanism which functions when an upward lifting force is exerted on the handle, and comprises a lever formed integrally with the side arm 3U of the rear caster 27, the latter operating as a lever about the pivotal axis 32. The locking lever 'i0 extends u wardly through an elongated slot H in the wa of the cleaner casing and is provided at its upper end with a laterally extending locking member 'l2 which is normally disposed forwardly of the detent lever t3 as shown in Figure l to permit free pivotal movement of the detent lever 63 when the handle lit is rotated about itspivot t5. The locking member l2 is provided with .a curved surface 'i3 which is adapted to pass beneath and abut the lower surface le of the detent lever t3 to prevent movement of the latter and lock; the roller detent B in any one of the recesses 52, 53 or 5t to thereby lock the handle rigidly with respect to the'cleaner casing when the lat ter is lifted off the floor.

In operation, assume `that the handle is in the position shown in Figure 1, and it is desired to lower the handle, the operator merely exerts a slight downward pressure on the handle whichcauses the latter to pivot about the pin Q5 against the resisting force exerted by the torsion spring S6. Movement of the handle downwardly causes the lever 63 to pivot clockwise, as viewed in Figures -1 and 3, and displaces the roller detent 60 from the recess 53, and the spring 66 urges the roller detent B0 into the recess 5d to permit free movement of the handle over a considerable operating range between the stops 56 and 5l. The resisting force exerted by the spring 66 is sumcient to prevent the handle d@ from moving downwardly past the stops 5S and 5l. lIf it is desired to move the handle to the lowest operating position the operator merely exerts a force on the handle which causes the detent t0 to move past the stop 55 into the recess 52, to thereby hold'the handle in substantially horizontal position. In order to raise the handle the operator merely moves the handle upwardly to the desired position against the resisting force exerted by the torsion spring tt.

If the handle i0 is in the storage position shownl in Figure l, and the cleaner is lifted bodily ofi' the floor, the weight of the cleaner is removed from the spring 35 which exerts a force to roassaaia tate the locking lever 'it about its pivotal axis t2 in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Figures l and 3, causing the locking member 'l2 to move beneath the detent lever 63 to abut the lower wall 'id of the latter to thereby prevent rotation of the detent lever 63 and thus rigidly locir the roller detent @il in the recess 53 preventing relative rotation between the handle it and the cleaner casing It. This locking action takes place as the cleaner weight is being removed from the rear wheels 2d which causes the latter to pivot and move the locking lever le into abutment with the lever 63 before the cleaner is completely lifted off the supporting surface. When the cleaner is again placed on the floor the "weight of the cleaner will move the wheels 2li toward the rear end of thecleaner casing l@ and Apivot the locking lever 'l0 clockwise about the pivot 32 as viewed in Figure 3, causing the locking member l2 to move out of abutment with the lower wall T4 of the detent lever t3 whereby the latter is free to pivot about its pivotal axis St to permit normal operation4 of the cleaner handle.

, If the roller detent Si) is disposed in the segmental recess dfi, that is, when the handle is at a substantially operating position, and the operator lifts the cleaner off the oor,.the

locking member 'i2 will move into engagement with the detent lever 63 to prevent rotation of the latter and the casing l0 will move downwardly with respect to the handle in a limited range until the roller detent 60 engages the stop te to positively lock the handle relative to the casing it.

1t is 'to be understood that the protection herein applied for is not confined to the particular combinations of features or elements set out in the following claims. Protection is herein applied for, for any one or more of the features or elements referred to in the following claims, or described in the foregoing specifications or shown in the accompanying drawings, either independently or in combination.

I claim:

l. In a suction cleaner, a casing, lever means pivoted on said casing, wheels on said lever means to support said cleaner on a surface, a handle pivoted on said casing, handle control means for resistingly maintaining said handle in different operating positions relative to said casing, said lever means being movable into engagement with said control'means to lock the latter to prevent movement of said handle with respect to said casing, said lever means being actuated into said locking engagement with said control means when the weight of said cleaner on said wheels and lever means is reduced by exerting an upward lifting force on said cleaner.

2. In a suction cleaner, a casing, a handle pivoted on said casing, segmental means having spaced recesses of different lengths representing different extents of range of handle movement,

resiliently actuated detent means adapted to engage said segmental means to resistingly prevent pivotal movement of said handle beyond the 'angular range defined by the recess in which said detent means is positioned, and means for locking said detent means in any of the selected recesses to positively lock said handle with respect to said casing, and means to actuate said locking means upon lifting said cleaner from its supporting surface.

3. In an ambulatory machine, a casing, bracket means pivotally mounted on said casing and on a supporting surface, tension means acting on -sad casing and bracket means to counterbalance the normal cleaner load on said wheels, said tension means operating to pivot said bracket means when the cleaner weight on said Wheels is reduced by exerting a lifting force on said cleaner, and coacting handle locking means connected to said handle and bracket means and actuated by said movement of said bracket means 1-0 to lock said handle with respect to said casing.

VERNON E. CARLSON. 

